The inaugural Doctor of Business Administration cohort includes a dynamic group of industry leaders with 10 to 37 years of management experience. Ekin Pellegrini, co-director of the DBA program, says the quality of these students, the reputation of the faculty and the College of Business Administration’s accreditation were central factors in the program’s top 22 global ranking by CEO Magazine. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Within the first year of its launch, the Doctor of Business Administration program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis already ranks among the best in the world.
CEO Magazine listed the new terminal degree option, which will graduate its inaugural cohort in 2020, as one of the 22 premier global DBA programs in an article published Wednesday.
“We are quite honored to be recognized in the first year of our existence, especially when you note that the ranking is not just U.S. but worldwide,” said Ekin Pellegrini, director of executive education and co-director of the DBA program. “There’s increasing interest from senior-level professionals who desire to achieve a terminal degree in business while continuing their careers. Our program is one of the first 20 [Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business]-accredited DBA programs in the country, and we are excited to have achieved global visibility so early in the program.”
The CEO Magazine list includes 13 programs based in the United States and nine spread across Europe.
The College of Business Administration option is Missouri’s first and only AACSB-accredited DBA program offering research concentrations in all areas of business administration. The doctoral candidates, who have between 10 to 37 years of management experience, meet in person one weekend per month and collaborate in an online learning platform in between on-campus residencies.
Pellegrini and her DBA Co-Director Thomas Eyssell credit the quality and professional diversity of the students, the faculty leaders and the program’s AACSB accreditation as central factors for the program’s initial success.
“We have quite an amazing cohort in this first group of students,” said Eyssell, who also serves as associate dean of the business college and director of graduate studies. “We have participants like Kei Pang, who is the CEO of Nidec Motor Corporation; Scott Boswell, who is a high-level executive at Commerce Bank; and so on. We’ve been very fortunate. Everything has really come together nicely for this first group.”
Francesca Ferrari, director of graduate business programs and administrative director of the DBA program, says students also enjoy a variety of educational services throughout their three years at UMSL.
“The program’s concierge service team handles all the details that can get tedious for participants, such as course materials, statistical analysis software, interview data transcriptions and conference travel arrangements so the students can focus on learning,” Ferrari said.
The fall 2018 cohort is currently forming, with an early decision deadline approaching on April 1. The final deadline for applications is October 1.
In February, The Top Business Schools and Degrees also ranked UMSL’s DBA program as one of the “Top 35 Best Online Doctor of Business Administration Programs.”
